The Blue Door Print Studio was opened towards the end of 2002. Situated between Parktown North and Parkhurst at St Ninians Church. Within these tranquil walls, a focused environment was created into a small professional print studio run by printmaker, Collin Cole.

Collin obtained his Master's degree in Printmaking at Rhodes University and has lectured printmaking at tertiary level for 15 years. His classes covered the following printmaking techniques: Serigraphy, Intaglio, Relief printing, as well as all associated photomechanical processes from First year to Masters' level. Art history, visual communication/methodology and drawing also formed part of Collin's teachings.

The private studio's aim was to invite anyone with a passion for creativity and eagerness to learn, and teach them the wonderful art of printmaking.

Philosophy:

The Blue Door Print Studio has a two-fold teaching philosophy;

1. To teach printmaking processes.

2. And more importantly, to assist artists and students to express their own creative individuality.

Techniques offered:

Intaglio

Zinc plate etching both black and white, and full colour, dry point and all associated applications of the medium

The studio has also been instrumental in the establishment of 5 private studios with The Swift printing presses designed and built by engineer, Peter Spann, owner of Building Industrial Equipment based in Alexander, South Africa.

About the Building

In 1929 the congregants of the Melville - Auckland Park Hebrew Congregation bought two stands, one with a Church, which had been built by the Richmond Wesleyan Methodist Church Trust of Johannesburg in 1903.

The Congregation was drawn from the three suburbs namely Melville, Auckland Park and Richmond which were on the North West side of Johannesburg. Originally not many Jewish families were situated in these areas however the numbers did seemingly increase. This was a perfect location to appreciate the beautiful views stretching over the town.

Function

The Congregation used this Synagogue for nearly 25 years however little information is available on members of the Kitai family, who were Trustees with others, when it was bought in 1929. There was a sole Trustee when it was sold to J P L Britz on 20 May 1955. On 22 August 1955 Britz in turn sold it to The Old Apostolic Church of Africa, thereby circumventing the ruling that a synagogue cannot be sold to a Church. At the time of the sale the Torah Scrolls were donated to the Mayfair Synagogue.

Present Situation

After 1955 the building functioned for the second time as a Church. In 1972 it was sold to a commercial firm and seems to have been used as a Nursery School during this period. In 1975 the property was consolidated into Stand No 239, Richmond. Monte Aschman, an interior decorator, subsequently bought the two properties for his design studio and home in 1981, when he did considerable alterations. In 1984 the Church became the studio for the architectural partnership of Britz and Scholes. (Auction sentence) The church is now privately owned.

Prized for historic and aesthetic value this building has since become the new home of the Blue Door Print Studio.